Orthodontists applying elastic ligatures to connect an archwire to an orthodontic bracket require a rapid, reliable, and safe way to accomplish this task. While a variety of different instruments and methods have been developed to apply elastic ligatures to braces, one ligature at a time, these instruments and methods are generally labor-intensive and require both significant manual dexterity by the orthodontist and repeated practice to operate properly.
One example of a prior art ligature application device is the Orthodontic Ligature Gun described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,423 to Kesling. While effective in limited applications, the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,423 includes some inherent inefficiencies. These inherent inefficiencies become readily apparent when the user is required to grab a fresh O-shaped elastic ligature individually with the gun and then secure the fresh ligature onto the ligature gun. Once the fresh, expanded elastic ligature has been applied to the orthodontic bracket, the process of loading another fresh ligature onto the gun, expanding the ligature, and applying the expanded ligature onto the orthodontic bracket in the patient's mouth is repeated as many as 12 times per arch for a single patient. Each time a fresh elastic ligature is to be applied to the braces, the orthodontist is required to direct attention away from the patient's mouth to pick up a fresh elastic ligature and then load this fresh ligature onto the gun. This continual redirecting of the orthodontist's attention away from the primary task of applying elastic ligatures to the brackets on the braces in a patient's mouth is inefficient. And, because of the redirection of the orthodontist's attention away from the patient's mouth, patient safety may be compromised.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a ligature dispenser that quickly secures a fresh elastic ligature, expands the fresh elastic ligature, and allows an orthodontist to repetitively apply expanded elastic ligatures to multiple brackets on the braces in a patient's mouth. Such ligature dispenser will minimize the inefficient use of an orthodontist's time and increase patient safety by not repeatedly directing the orthodontist's attention away from the patient's mouth.